Process and apparatus for inducing germination and growth of seeds and plants



I I 625 181 I April 19 1927 J. zr-:LLWEGER PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR INDUCING GERMINATION AND GROWTH OF SEEDS 'AND PLANTS ZN VEN TOE V- TOEA/E v5 1,625,181 J. ZELLWEGER PRocEss AND APPARATUS FOR INDUCING GERMINATION AND Aprl 19 1927.

GROWTH OF SEEDS AND PLANTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 1. 1924 lill/IL Patented Apr. 19, 1927.

uur-rs l sr JOHN'ZELLVEGER, OF ST. LOUTS, MISSOURI.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR INDUCING 'GERMINATION .AND GROWTH .OF SEEDS AND 'Ii-PLANTS.

:Application filed August 1, 1924. Serial No. 729,515.

This invention relates'to apparatus ofthe kin'd that are used to induce the germination and growth of seeds and plants and which are commonly referred to as greenhouses, forcing pits, hot-boxes and forcing lields.

One object of my invention is to provide a novel process for inducing the germination-and .growth of seeds and plants,-that is economical, easy to controland capable of producing results not possible to attain with the ,processes heretofore employed for inducing the germination and-growth of plants in soil beds.

Another object of my invention is to Vprovide a highly efficient apparatus of simple design 'for practicing my process.

Briefly stated, my process consistsin supplying heat, moisture and air directly to a soilibed which contains plant food, and effectively distributing said-elements througlr out the entire area -of said bed, preferably simultaneously or in one operation, so as to maintain the soil bed in a porous and healthy condition and cause heat and moisture to be applie'dfdirectly to theseeds and kplant roots in the soilbed. 'The apparatus that is used to practice my process may be constructed in various ways, but it will usually comprise a perforated or porous supporting structure for the soil bed, and means for blowing warm, humid air through said structure and upwardly into the soil bed throughout substantially ythe entire area of same, thereby Ventilating the bed and applying heat and moisture to the :plant seeds or lroots containedin the bed. liVhile the temperature of the air that is introduced into the soilbed may vary, it should ynever be in excess of 120 F., so as to be sure that the seedsandplant roots willlnot be'injured.

In the various'kinds of forcing apparatus now used to promote growth of plants, the heat that is required to produce germination and growth of the seeds or plants in the soil bedisleither radiated-onto the top surface of the soil bed from a source of'heat arranged above the soil bed, or is conducted to the bottom surface of the soil bed usually from a body of hot manure located directly underneath the 4soil bed. In some yinstances hot lire Ylues or1hot water or steam pipes are located at-the'sides or at the'bottom of the soil bed, seas to heat said bed by conduction. ln still other cases the water required for germination .and growth :is applied to the and convection are relied upon toconvey the heat through thesoil bed tothe seedsand plant roots, 'because capillarty ofthe soil bed is depended upon to carry the water to the `seeds and plant roots, and because variation in atmospheric pressure is depended upon to produce ventilation of the'soil bed.

`ln my process an adequate supply of heat and moisture vdirectly tothe seeds or plant roots is assured ,and suiiicient air is `introduced forcibly into the soil bed and dis tributed through the same to'insure proper ventilation of said'bed. Other objections to the conventional process used to force-seeds and plants, is that a great deal of time and labor are'involved in the'operation of sprinklingrthe soilzbeththat the water usedin the sp iukling operation loften chills ythe yplants and interferes with the growth of same, and that said water tendsto `form afhard crust or top surface on the soil bedfthrough lwhich air cannot penetrate to ventilate the soil bed. Myprocess has'none ofthe objectionable characteristics just mentioned, for in my process water is'intro'duced into -the soil bed as vapor by currents of air-that enter said bed from 'the Vunderside of same, from air ducts or chambers to which warm, humid air is supplied by a mechanical means.

ltly'invention is applicable=to greenhouses, forcing pits, vhot boxes Aand forcing elds, but I have herein illustratedonly two types or kinds of apparatus embodyingmyinvention, one consisting of `agreenhouse illustrated in Figures l to-6 of the drawings, and the other Vconsisting of a group of hot boxes illustratedrin Figures 7 to l2, inclusive, of the drawings. y

Figure l of Athe drawings is a horizontal sectional view of a greenhouse constructed in accordance with my'invention. taken'on'the line 1`1 of Figure@ Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line 2.-'2 of Figure 1.

.Figure' is a'vertical'longitudinal sectional View, of the greenhouse shown in .Figure l, taken on the. line l-3 et' Figure l, .toolting; in the direction indicated by the arriilrf.

Figure it is a bottom plan vien' el one oi1 the tiles used in the consti-notion el the perito `ated supporting structure ior the soil bed.

Figure 5 is a lfnigitudiual sectional View oit said tile.

Figure G is a transverse sectional rien* ol said tile.

Figure T is a horizontal seetional 'vien' et a group ot hotI boxes constructed in aeeordance with my invention, iallien on the line IMT of Figure tl.

Figure S is a transverse sectional vien', taken on the line S--S ot Figure Figure 9 is a Vertical longitudinal seetioual View ot the group oi hot boues shown in Figure T, taken on the line 9 9 ot Figure i', looltinley in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure l0 illustrates in transverse section and in longitudinal section one et' the pei-'torated tile used in the construction oit the per :lorated air duets ot the apparatus shown in .Figure T.

Figure l1 is an enlarued orossseetional View of the distributing` lue Elli oit' the appaw ratus shown .in llia'ure il talien on approximately7 the line 1l-11 oiE Figure 12; and

Figure lil is a longitudinal sectional View ot said liue, taken on the line 12H12 ot Fin'- ure 11.

in .llligures 1 to (5 ot the drawin s .l have illustrated an apparatus that represents the Construction el a Aureenhouse or toreing pit embodying my im'entien. tliaid apparatus is provided with side and end walls and a root, and a transverselpdisposed partition )L is arranged adjacent one end oi same so as to separate the interior olf the house into two sections or rooms, one et Wliieh serves as a boiler room. The other section or room ot the house is provided n'ith one or more soil beds that contain seeds or plants and which are mounted on perforated or poi-cuis supporting structures tlirough which warm.r humid air is toreed direetliY into the soil bed. Any suitable pertorated or porous siipportinar structure ean he used :tor sustainiupr the soil bed and an;Y suitable means can be used for blowing' Warm. humid air into the soil bed. Generally, the greenhouse will eomprise a boiler t that is adapted to be used lor heating' the greenhouse and for suigiplying hot Water to an air washing' tan or a humidiiifi'iun' apparatus flfq which, in turn, is used to blow Warm, humid air into the Soil `bed so as to heat. .meisten and rentilate said bed. The particular design and arrangement oi' the soil beds is immaterial, but in the greenhouse shown in Figure 1 soil beds 22 are arranged ou benches between aisles through which the operatives in charge of the greenhouse can Walk, the root opt the insurer house beinghigli eno ugh to permit the operatives to stand in an upright position. The soil beds are arranged over air chambers 1S and are carried by perforated supporting structures herein illustrated as being termed huuiidyiue; andeseribed in my U. Si. Patents llos 169:) i, dated hlay 9, 1905; 838,002,

dated December lil. 1906 and 680,706, dated iiepteinber Qt 19071 said lan comprising` a .rotatable filter rino' to which hot water supplied and blades arranged so as to draw air into the end et the asing et the vtan through or over said iilter ring, and then e.\' pel said moisture-la(ien air through the diseharn'e openine' ot the Atan easing'. .Air distril'nitingr tine-s itil or iaisszuren'ays lead from the outlet ot' the tan 2l to the air chambers 53 and in order to prei/ent prematura-1, eondensation olf the water i'apor belfore it reaches the soil beds, luiating.;A elements herein illustrated as radiator pipes 13 are arranged inside of thi` air ehamhers itl, said radiator pipes heine' supplied with a heating medium :trom the boiler aud also heini; used .ioi maintaining the interior ot the lin'eenhouse at the proper temperature in cold weather. Jiny suitable type or hind ot' boiler 7 may he used, hut l prefer to use a east iron seetionul hoiler eilt' suilieient capacity to `keep the greenhouse at a teuiinirature et (it) to 700 at zero weather and supply t'eed water to said boiler il'rom an iutiou' pipe fi leading `trom an expansion tanl-z Q to Awhiefh 'Fresh water is sup plied by a pipe l equipped with a water ilulet aire l that is uoverued by a ball tloat -l-, as shown in ifiuure jl. ,ft stand pipe 8 that prigijeetis: upuenrdljyr troni the boiler 7, as shown in lligi'ure 55, eonneets with a liow pipe i) that extends longitudinally of the lgreenhouse to a down-telefY pipe l() at the opposite end et saine n'hieh eommuniea tes with a disiributina header 1l troni whieli distrihutingliranehes lll lead to the radiator pipes 13 arrau; a inside el' the air chambers itl. rilhe distrilnitirnl' hranehes ld are equipped with ren'ulatingg valves lei, as shown in Figure and the diseharue ends oil the radiator pipes lil are connected with eolleetor headers 'l5 'troni n'hieh leader piiies ,lll entend to the boiler. as .shown in llligrure 1 that is used to nioisten the air which is drawn through the tau Q-'t is Supplied to said 'lian by a hot n'ater pipe 1T that .leads trom the stand pipe cl and a return pipe (l leads from said fan haelt to the expansion tank 2.

The water lil Htl

ltlll llU In Figure 1 of the drawings the reference character designates the air inlet of the fan 2a and the reference character 27 designates air outlets that lead from the air distributing flues 26 to the front ends of the air chambers 18 beneath the soil beds, the air chambers 18 being provided at their rear endswith outlets 29 through which the air escapes from said chambers into a return line 31 that leads baclr to the air inlet 25 of the fan 24. Air dainpers or doors 292L can be used to govern the escape of the air from the air chambers 18 into the return 'liuc 81, and a damper can be used for governing the passage of the air from said return flue to the inlet of the fan. 1f desired, the greenhouse can be equipped with ventilating chimneys 32, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

1u the event it is desired to use the air in the air chambers 18 to heat the plant space 28 of the greenhouse in cold weather and to cool said space in hot weather, said air chambers can be provided with outlet openings 290 equipped with valves 290, through which large quantities of either warm and dry or humid air or cool air7 either dry or humid, can be admitted to the plant space 23.

When the boiler 7 is water begins to rise in thestand pipe 8 and to overflow into the flow pipe 9. in the tlow pipe 9 the water loses some of its heat by radiation and becomes heavier. The sustained rising of the warm water causes it to fiow down grade in the iiow pipe S) and then to drop into the down-take 1() through which it flows to the distributing header 11 thence to the branches 12 and from said branches into the radiator pipes 18 underneath the soil beds. The water runs slowly through the radiator pipes 13 and loses more heat by radiationto the walls of the air chamber 18, tiles 2O in the tops of said air chambers and indirectly to the 'soil beds 22. The greatly cooled water then flows into the collecting headers 1S and leader pipes (i, which return the circulating water baci; into the boiler 7 for reheating and recirculation.

W'hen lthe radiator pipes have become warm the wheel of the fan 24 may be set in operation and hot water brought from the stand pipe 8 through vthe supply pipe 17 and sprinkled onto the inside of the rotating i'ilter screen of said fan. rl'he fan then aspires air from the inside of the greenhouse and exposes it to violent contact with the hot water on the filter screen. This Contact causes the air to become warm and to absorb some of the water as vapor. The air is here saturated to of its capacity at, about 80 temperature. In this condition the air is blown forward by the fan 24 through the air chambers 18 in contact with the radiator pipes 13 in said chambers7 and set in operation the said air then enters the soil beds 22 through the perforations in the supporting structures 2O of said beds. Since the temperature of the soil beds-is always lower than that of the warm, humid air, which is being forced inte said beds through the orifices in the supporting structures for said beds, the con- `tact of the air with the soil beds results in the condensation into water of some of the water vapor in the humid air. This condensation also changes some of the latent heat of the vapor into sensible heat in the resulting condensed water. This water and its sensible heat are two new products which originated during the condensation of some of the vapor within the soil beds. Both of these two products are then taken up by tii'e soil beds and by the seeds and roots therein, causing germination and growth of new plants. its previously stated, premature coneensation of the Awater vapor is prevented by causing the air flowing through the air chambers 18 to cont Y"t with radiator' pipes 13 which supply additional. heat to the air being forced into the soil beds.

The above process requires only periodical operations, and thus leaves ample time for mere heating and ventilating of the greenhouse, even in severe weather. For heating purposes it is only necessary to cut cti? the supply of hot water to the filter ring of the fan through the pipe 17 and then use the apiliaratus 1for blowing warm air through the outlets 290 into the plant space 23. 1n suinnier time the air in the greenhouse can be cooled by passing outside air through the lan and then discharging said air into the plant space 23. in order to econoinize in the heating and watering operations, I use the full amount of the sensible heat in the return pipe and also the latent and sensible heat in the return air and of the vapor by returning the cool water from the radiator pipes i8 back to the boiler through the leader pipes 16, by returning the cooled water from the humidifying fan 24 back to the xpansion tank 2 and by returning the cooler air from the soil beds back to the humidifying fan. t often happens in certain seasons of the year, when no artificial heat is conveniently available, that forcing units should be dried out and ventilated. Therefore7 prefer to provide the greenhouse with ventilatino' chimneys 32 which will become warm from sunshine and will then operate to ventilate the greenhouse. Similar but better effects can be attained by causing the fan 241 to aspire air from outdoors and blow it in dry condition through the air chainbers, soil beds and plant spaces.

rlhe apparatus shown in Figures 7 to 12, inclusive, of the drawings represents how ho-t boxes or forcing fields can be Vmade t0 embody my invention. Said apparatus comprises elements similar to those of the apparatus shown in Figures l to G, and designated by corresponding reference characters, hut in the apparatus shown in Figures T to ,l2 air duets 19 lorined 'roin per :lorated tile :2l are arraugeffl under the soil beds and are supplied with warin, huinid air through a distributini;l tlue which also connected by means of air outlet 290 with the plant spare 23 in the upper portion ot the hot boxes that contain the soil beds, eonin'iunieation between said Hue and outlet beinggoverned by Valves 290% In some instanrea, instead oilE ilorinink;` the air duets l5) 'l'roui hollow, perforated tile 2l, the soil beds ran be .supported by masses o'i broken stone or the like in whieh the radiator pipes are imbedded, said rocky material beingl desirahle, in that, it tends to maintain a more even temperature of the soil beds and the interstiees between the sinall stones or pieres of rooliy inaterial serving' as air duets which eti'eet a Very equal distribidion ot' the wariu. lnunid air throughout the bodyY o'l the soil beds. lin the apparatus shown in ,Figure 'i' the transverse partition )L at one end ol the apparatus is provided with an air passageway Si?, which leads in the return line Sl, as shown in Vltiftgure T.

l claim:

1L. A11 apl'iaratus for inducing the germi-- marinai .nation and growth of seeds and plants, coniprising a perforated or porous support that sustains a soil bed, an air passageway arranged so that air ean pass i'roni same upwardly into said soil hed, a hun'iidiiying,I fan for forcing air through said passageway provided, with a filter ringl through which the air passes, and means for supplying moisture at a high temperature to Said 'fan so as to cause the seeds; or plant roots in said bed to be subjected to the action ol' moisture, air and heat.

2. An apparatus for inducingy the germination and growth ot seeds and plants, com pristine` a soil hed, a perforated or porous supporti tor said bed, au air passageway arranged .so that air eau pass from saine upwardly into said bod, a lnnnidilying fan for forcing air through said passageway provided with a filter ring, heat radiating,l derives arranged in said air passageway, a boiler tor supplying a heating,l inediuin to said heat radiating devices, and means for applyingl hot water troni said boiler to the lilter rino' ot' said lnuniditying fan so as to raast warin, huinid air to pass upwardly through lsaid soil hed when said fan is in operation.

JOH N ZE L IVEGER. 

